Into the Shadows - ACOTAR / ACOMAF - Azriel x OC

Chapter X - Night IV

— Azriel —

A guttural roar formed from the pits of my stomach as I leapt into the air and drove my sword through the Denali's skull. I twisted my blade, feeling the brains and flesh stick as I pulled my sword free and quickly holstered it.

Lexa lay on the cold ground. Snow now the colour of a crimson river. I was trembling. I lowered my shaky hands to her small body and steadied them before moving her cloak off the point of impact.

Hot nausea rolled through my body at the sight of her injury. The injury that was meant for me. I have no doubt that this bite would have killed me. The Denali would have snapped its jaws around my neck, puncturing vital arteries and ending me rather efficiently.

Blood continued to pool out of her wound. Cassian and I always followed a strict regiment when fighting a battle. One of those rules was to always leave a small dose of our Siphon power in case the worst was to happen.

And this was the worst.

I used the remaining power and pumped my healing magic into her wound. I didn't have a lot left, but it was enough to stop the bleeding and stitch together the top layer of her flesh and skin. Though the underneath, it would be raw and painful.

I chose to heal the wound from the top down because I knew I didn't have enough power to fix it completely. At least this way, no dirt could infect her blood and the bleeding could be contained.

I reached for my canteen of water and used the smallest amount I could spare to lightly wash the blood and saliva of the beast off her porcelain skin. Her back and shoulder looked like a cracked vase barely containing the insides trying to explode out of confinement.

Still not allowing myself to fully process what had happened, I remained focused on the task at hand. Shelter. We needed a cave and we needed one fast.

I very carefully looped her bound hands around my neck and pulled her into my embrace. As I stood, I scooped up her legs and wriggled until her wounded arm rested across her torso, keeping any weight or strain off the inflicted area.

A small raspy groan jutted from her throat, and that same nausea threatened to pour out of me. I inhaled slowly and deeply, using the cold air to suffocate any unhelpful reactions and kept my goal at the front of my mind.

I carefully took a step and then waited for her precious body to object in pain. But it didn't. So I kept walking, taking everything one step at a time.

It was dark, no moon shone tonight through the thick wintery clouds, and I had never been so grateful for my impeccable eyesight as I was at this very moment. So grateful that I had been born and raised in the dark and could use it to my will. I sent my shadows scattering around looking for a cave. There was one another mile away.

My own injuries seemed to stop aching and burning the second she had pushed me out of the way. A light breeze drifted around us but I didn't feel the cold. Lexa remained warm in my hands and every now and then I lowered my ear to her mouth to check her breathing. It was mostly stable. Probably the best I could have hoped for.

I let myself recall the way she had skillfully thrown Truth Teller into the first Denali. The thought of her fighting and strength kept my own mind steady as we neared our destination.  

We reached the mouth of the cave and she still hadn't groaned again. I carefully laid her down on her good side and took a shuddering breath. Images of her bleeding body flashed across my mind and I had to bite my fist to stop myself from shouting. I was furious that she had gotten hurt on my watch. On my guard.

Next step. Make the next step, my mind yelled at me. I filled my lungs with the cold air and went outside to look for sticks and kindling for a fire. I grabbed what I needed and headed into the cave.